Aunchalee E.L. Palmquist

Dr. Aunchalee Palmquist is an Associate Professor of the Practice at Duke University's Global Health Institute and Adjunct Associate Professor at UNC Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her dual appointments span Global Health and Cultural Anthropology departments. She holds a PhD in Medical Anthropology from the University of Hawai'i.

Her research bridges biomedical and anthropological perspectives, focusing on breastfeeding equity, reproductive justice, and humanitarian health. She leads the Lactation and Infant Feeding in Emergencies (L.I.F.E.™) Initiative at Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute (CGBI). Key roles include serving on WHO/UNICEF Global Breastfeeding Collective and the Emergency Nutrition Network's IFE Core Group.

Dr. Palmquist has received prestigious awards including the 2024 Solon T. Kimball Award for Applied Anthropology and the 2021 Gillings Equity Research Award. She teaches global health courses including Global Maternal and Child Health (GLHLTH 571) and Qualitative Field Methods (GLHLTH 772).

Her service activities include advising the Global Nutrition Cluster and the North Carolina Global Health Alliance. She actively contributes to policy frameworks addressing infant feeding in emergencies and incarcerated populations' reproductive health needs.